Ferroelastic phase in SrBi2Ta2O9 and study of the ferroelectric phase-transition dynamics

Polarized microscope observation of ferroelastic domains in a SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) single crystal reveals the presence of domains up to Tc1≃770 K, which supports the ferroelasticity and Amam symmetry of the intermediate phase between ferroelectric and paraelectric phases. Far-infrared spectra of SBT ceramics, single crystal and thin films show a well underdamped optical soft mode at 28 cm−1, which partially softens to 21 cm−1 near the ferroelectric transition temperature (Tc2≅600 K). This softening does not explain the entire anomaly of low-frequency permittivity observed near Tc2. On the basis of high-frequency measurements, which do not show a significant dispersion, central-mode-type dispersion in the 10–100 GHz range is proposed as an explanation. So, the phase transition at Tc2 apparently shows a crossover behavior between the displacive and the order–disorder type.